Run Away
by LeaDenise
Summary: Sawyer is Daryl's best friend, drinking buddy, and the love of his life but she doesn't know it yet. While her Aunt Irma is becoming gravely ill, she meets a man named Shane who her aunt adores. Sawyer has always been the selfless one but it's her tragic trait. Will Daryl be able to save her before she makes the worst mistake of her life? One-shot, DarylXOC, Launguage, smut, REVIEW


Hey guys! This is a one-shot that I've been working on for a while and I hope you like it! Yes it's long but it's totally worth it! So please leave a review to tell me what you think! Thanks and as always, happy reading!

_Run Away_

"Why are you so late?" Ria asked as Sawyer Horvath ran into the hospital panting.

"I'm only five minutes late and it's still before our shift!" Sawyer replied. They ran into their section with their blue scrubs on.

"Did Dixon keep you up doing shots?" Ria asked and Sawyer rolled her eyes.

"Merle tried but failed. I feel asleep over at their place." Sawyer answered.

"Is Merle trying to get into your pants or something?" Ria asked and Sawyer laughed.

"Merle is like the annoying big brother." Sawyer replied

"That's trying to get into your pants?" Ria replied and Sawyer gagged.

"God no, look Merle and I have that playfully bickering friendship. He says something offensive to me, I say something worse, he laughs, and we continue on our day." She explained.

"What about Daryl?" Ria mocked.

"He's actually the one that kept me up last night." Sawyer replied without thinking.

"Freaking finally!" Ria gasped as they were in the break room.

"Not like that!" Sawyer laughed. "We stayed up last night talking. I actually talked him into fixing up my car."

_"Come on gurly!" Merle slurred as he swung around a bottle of jack. "Ya nee' ta le-ut la-hmph-loose." Sawyer laughed as she walked back into Daryl's room._

_ "You can try to get me drunk but you never will!" She called back behind. "Besides Merle, I have to work tomorrow and take care of the next generation's first days!"_

_ "Ya make it soun' so poretic!" He mocked and she rolled her eyes as Daryl stood in the doorway. "I'm jus' gonna get shit-faced." He grumbled and she giggled as Daryl smirked at her._

_ "You make it sound so poetic." She replied sarcastically and walked into the room. Daryl closed the door behind her_ _as she walked over to his bed and jumped down to it so she could lay on it. _

_ "He ain't botherin' ya right?" Daryl asked and she laughed._

_ "Daryl, I've been dealing with him since I was 22, that's 3 years. I think we're past bothering each other." She replied as she snuggled into the blankets. She was already in her bright pink tank top and yoga pants. Daryl smirked at her and sniffed in laughter._

_ "Yer one of the only people that can handle him." He replied._

_ "And I do a damn good job at it too." She replied. Daryl Dixon didn't usually have friends but one of the guys that worked with him introduced them and once he realized she could handle Merle, she was a contender. She was understanding, funny, sarcastic, it was almost like she became one of them. Daryl made sure she wasn't looking and quickly changed his shirt._

_ "I'm gonna go 'head and guess that yer stayin' here fer the night?" he asked and she laughed softly._

_ "Your bed is just really comfortable and you keep me warm." She told him. He looked back at her as he sat down on his bed._

_ "How do I keep ya warm?" he asked and she smirked, almost like she was biting the inside of her lip._

_ "You cuddle in your sleep." She revealed almost shyly and his brows furrowed. She began to laugh into his pillow at his facial expression._

_ "I fuckin' do not!" He defended and she nodded as she came down from the laughter._

_ "Yep, you do." She replied. "Hm, I wonder what would happen if Merle and all them knew?" she teased and his eyes widened._

_ "No yer not!" he replied and she nodded._

_ "M-hm!" she replied and he shook his head. "Oh, you don't want me to say anything?" she asked._

_ "Hell no!" he replied and she laughed._

_ "What's it worth to ya Dixon?" she asked evilly._

_ "Whaddya want?" he asked and she smirked coyly._

_ "I need you to check on my car. You're not working tomorrow and it's been acting weird. And since I'm the nice person my uncle taught me to be, I'll pay you." She replied._

_ "Alright See-Saw, ya got yerself a deal." He said and she celebrated her blackmailing victory. "Shut it See-Saw."_

_ "Don't call me See-Saw!" she replied. Later that night, Sawyer was sleeping peacefully on her side. Daryl was lying on his back with a hand behind his head and his other hand on his stomach. He looked over at Sawyer who was facing him. _

_ "God, she's so perfect." Daryl thought. Her nose twitched in her sleep and some of her silky brown hair fell over her sweet face, resting on the side of her small nose. He reached out and brushed it back behind her ear. Daryl pursed his lips before he scooted closer to her and wrapped an arm around her arm and torso. Her hands came to rest against his chest as she seemed to move closer to him on her own. She sighed and moaned a little in her sleep. "Sorry." He whispered out loud. She just snuggled into him a little more and he closed his eyes. "Yeah, I cuddle in my sleep." He thought to himself sarcastically._

_ Sawyer woke up surrounded by Daryl's arms. She smiled to herself and laughed softly. She lifted her head and Daryl stirred slightly. She only partially saw the clock and laid her head back down. Her eyes snapped open and she popped up, causing Daryl to jump awake._

_ "Whut is it?" he asked and she groaned._

_ "Shit, I'm gonna be late for work!" she panicked._

_ "I'll take ya over to yer apartment, I gotta work on yer car." He replied and got up._

"So what're you doing after work today?" Ria asked and Sawyer shrugged.

"I'm gonna go to the gym and do some sparring probably." She replied. "Gotta make sure I can defend myself. Tomorrow I gotta go see Aunt Irma and Uncle Dale."

"Do you want to the record store after my shift tomorrow?" Ria asked.

"I've been searching for some My Chemical Romance vinyl and I think they finally got it." Sawyer replied.

"I'll stick to Bowie." Ria replied and Sawyer laughed.

"Alright, let's go check on those babies." She said and they walked over to the nursery.

_Run away_

Sawyer was bouncing around a punching bag with tape wrapped around her hands and her hair in a braid. She was in a black tank top and black pants as she punched and kicked the bag. She didn't notice a man watching her as he was punching his own bag. The man smirked at her as she continued to expertly attack. He steadied his punching bag and walked smoothly over to Sawyer.

"You're really good." He said in his low, country voice. She stopped to steady her bag and turned around.

_"Oh wow, he's hot!"_ She thought in her head as she took in his features. His hair was awesome. Jet black, clean cut, and a little curly. He was tan and had amazing brown eyes that seemed to melt her. "Uh, thanks." She shrugged with her hands on her hips.

"Shane Walsh." He said and held out his hand, covered in white tape.

"Sawyer Horvath." She replied and shook his hand with her bright pink, tape covered, hand.

"So Sawyer Horvath," he began and she laughed a little. "What do you do for a livin'?"

"I'm a nurse. I work in the neo-natal unit, you know, I take care of the newborns." She replied. "It's a bit stressful so here I am." He chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. "What about you Shane Walsh?"

"I'm a cop." He replied and she inwardly smiled. _"A man in uniform." _She thought. "So Sawyer, you wanna spar?"

"You sure you can handle me?" she flirted and he chuckled.

"I think the real question is can _you_ handle _me_?" he replied and she laughed. Shane always loved a girl that had a great laugh and she certainly met those standards. He helped her into the ring and he smirked at her. They began to spar and he was really surprised at how good she was. She blocked all of his jabs and was as quick as a cat. She laughed as he struggled to keep up.

"Now what was the real question again?" she asked smugly and he laughed. He threw some more punches which she dodged and blocked easily. She was able to jab him a few times. At once he was able to block her and move her to the ground. She winced and clipped his knees to roll them over. She pinned his wrists to the mat. "Give up?"

"Never!" he replied and she squealed as he rolled them back over, pinning her on her back. She started to laugh and so did he. She tried to roll them back over but he had her pinned with his large arm muscles that seemed to make her eyes grow wide. "You give up?" she kept trying but relaxed her head back with a grunt.

"I don't give up." She replied and he smirked down at her. "I'll _let_ you win." He laughed and helped her up. At the last second she clipped his knees again and pinned him down, this time making sure there was no escaping. "Or, maybe not." She smirked and he laughed.

"Alright Sawyer Horvath, you win this time." He said.

"Ha!" she exclaimed and got up. She giggled as he stood up, his height towering over her. They both stared at each other for a minute before she looked shyly away and he sniffed in laughter while he ran a hand through his curly locks.

"Well you won the prize." Shane told her.

"What prize?" Sawyer asked as she tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"The coffee date you just won, consider yourself lucky." He replied and she laughed.

"I guess I will." She replied. She got out her tape roll and a pen from her bag. She put her name on a section and ripped it off to give it to him. "Call me." She said and he nodded as he looked down at the neon tape.

"You got it." He replied as he smirked. She grabbed her bag and waved at him as she walked out of the room. Shane smirked as she walked away. It may have sounded cliché but he hated to see her go but loved to watch her leave.

_Run away_

Daryl knocked on her apartment door a week later. Merle was drunk as hell and Daryl just wanted to get away from it.

"Come in!" he heard Sawyer call and he opened the door with his key. He walked in and heard some rustling in her room. He walked back there and saw her putting some heels on. She looked… gorgeous. She was wearing a cute white dress with some flowers on the skirt, a blue cardigan, and a small brown belt around it. Her hair was curly and it flowed around her head.

"Well, look at ya!" he said and she giggled. "Why ya gettin' all dressed up?"

"I have a date tonight." She replied and Daryl felt his heart sink. He put on his poker face while his lips pressed together. She started applying bright red lipstick on her plump lips.

"Where d'ya meet 'im?" he asked.

"At the gym, we sparred together and one thing led to another. I gave him my number and he's already taken me out on four dates." She explained.

_"They've already been on the third date!" _Daryl groaned inwardly. But, Sawyer wasn't that type of girl. There's no way she would give him everything on their third date.

"He's a cop too." She added. "His name is _Shane Walsh_." She said dramatically and giggled.

"How's yer Aunt Irma doin'?" Daryl asked, trying to get off the subject. She sighed and set the lipstick down.

"It's getting worse Daryl." She replied and sat down next to him. "Uncle Dale keeps on trying to find doctors that can help but I think Aunt Irma has just given up. I think she's accepted it." Daryl put his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "She and Uncle Dale raised me. Now she's just giving up. I feel like… I have to do what I can to make her happy, you know?" Daryl really didn't know. He never really had a family. He had never told Sawyer about his childhood, his hell, and he never wanted her to know. Maybe that was why he never took their relationship further. Was a Dixon really scared of something?

"Do what ya feel like ya need to do." Daryl told her.

"I'm just so worried that Uncle Dale isn't going to be okay. I'm so afraid that he'll fall into depression or something. I can't lose him too. He's my last piece of family. My parents died when I was eight, Aunt Irma and Uncle Dale couldn't have a kid, hell, I am their kid. They mean so much to me." Tears made their way down her face and Daryl looked down at her. Their heads snapped up when there was a knock at the door. She laughed lightly as she wiped her eyes free of the running make up and tears. There was another knock on the door. "Just a second!" she called out. She turned around and smoothed out her dress. "How do I look?"

"A lil' panicky." He chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"I mean how do I _look_?" she asked with pleading grey eyes.

"Ya look beautiful." He said softly and she nodded. She kissed his cheek.

"Make yourself at home." She told him and bounced over to the front door.

"Hey babe." He heard a deep, country voice say.

"Hey." She replied cheerfully. Daryl looked around the corner and saw a very tall, dark, and handsome man. The man kissed her cheek and wrapped an arm around her waist. Daryl felt jealousy rage through him.

"Ready to go?" _Shane Walsh_ asked. She nodded and reached for her bag. She settled it on her shoulder and he moved some of her hair from under the strap.

"Yep, let's go!" she replied and he smiled.

"Rick's really excited to meet you." Shane replied as they began to walk out of her apartment.

"So, does that mean you've been talking about me?" she asked and he laughed.

"Maybe, maybe not." He replied. "I'm guessin' you've done the same about me. Nothin' bad to tell."

_"Cocky bastard."_ Daryl growled inwardly.

"Maybe, maybe not." She shrugged and closed the door behind her. The last thing Daryl saw was Shane's hand 'accidentally' grazing her ass. Daryl's fists clenched and his teeth grinded together.

_Run away_

"So then, he completely slips and falls! In front of everyone in the stadium as he gets his diploma!" Rick told Sawyer and she laughed. They were all sitting in a bar and Shane had his arm on her chair as she laughed. Shane smirked and secretly flipped of Rick, who laughed harder.

"You fell at graduation?" she laughed and Shane nodded.

"Yeah, yeah I fell." Shane replied. Rick looked down at his watch as he was taking a drink of his beer.

"I gotta get home, Lori's probably wonderin' where I am." Rick sighed and stood up. "It was great to meet you Sawyer!" he said and Sawyer stood up to give him a hug.

"It was nice to meet you too Rick!" she replied. "Yeah, I would love to watch Carl if you guys need a date night."

"Thanks, I'll call you!" Rick smiled and walked out.

"He's so sweet!" Sawyer told Shane as she sat back down. Shane chuckled and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"Yeah, he's always been the sweet one." He replied and she giggled.

"You've always been the one that fell at graduation." She replied and burst into laughter. Shane laughed and squeezed her a little.

"Hardy-har-har very funny!" he said and she lifted her head from his chest to look at him.

"I'm sorry but that's just too funny!" she replied and he fixed some of her hair. She noticed he really liked to play with her hair.

"So, when do I get to meet your friends?" he asked and she smiled.

"Well, Ria really wants to meet you." She said. "Oh and when you do meet Norman don't call him Normy, he hates that. Only I call him that.." Shane laughed and she blushed as his hand went to her knee. "I'm not sure about Daryl, I couldn't really read him but I'm sure he'll like you!"

"It's pretty hard not to like me." He replied and she giggled.

"Hey, I'm not gonna deny it." She flirted and he smirked. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against hers. He had waited a week for Sawyer and she wouldn't put out on their third date. Maybe five was his lucky number? He did legitimately like Sawyer but it was getting pretty hard to just give her a simple kiss goodnight. He deepened the kiss and she seemed surprise. One of his hands started to slowly move from her knee to her thigh. She heard her ringtone and pulled away. Shane groaned in frustration and she sniffed in laughter. "It could be the hospital." She told him and planted a hand on his chest. "Hello?"

"See-Saw!" Merle's voice came over the phone.

"What's up?" she asked.

"Look, Daryl got a lil' drunk over at the bar and I need ya to come and take 'im home." Merle explained and she sighed. He usually didn't get drunk at the bar because that was Merle's job.

"Alright, I'll be there soon." She replied. "That was the hospital, I need to go in." she lied. She knew what Shane wanted that night but she wouldn't do it. She liked Shane but they barely knew each other.

"Oh, that sucks." He groaned and she laughed.

"Yeah, it does but it's my job." She shrugged. He helped her out of the bar and helped her into the car. He dropped her off with a lingering kiss goodnight. She waited till he was all the way around the corner before she sped down the stairs and dialed Merle's number on her cellphone. "Hey, I'll be right there."

"What took ya so long?" Merle asked.

"I was on a date." And before he could say anything else, she hung up. She drove her Elantra over to the bar where she usually met the Dixons. She saw Daryl in the window, downing another shot and sighed. She knew that alcohol was his way of coping with things. What he was trying to cope with now she didn't know. She always suspected that something happened to him and Merle when they were younger but if Daryl wanted to tell her, he would tell her. She turned off her car and hustled inside.

"Hey Sawyer!" Woody greeted.

"Hey Woody!" she smiled and Daryl turned to see her. "Hey Dixon." She greeted as she sat down next to him.

"See-Saw what're ya doin' here?" Daryl slurred. He had _way_ too much to drink. He could usually control his intake but something must've gone bad tonight. "Ain't cha supposed to be fuckin' tha' cop?" Sawyer's eyes grew wide and she shook her head.

"Nope." She told him and looped his arm around her shoulders and helped him up. "Come on Daryl, let's get you home."

"I thank I'm gonna puke." Daryl groaned and she grimaced. "Let's just go to wherever's closer. "

"That means my place." She told him and got him into the car. He was actually able to make it to the apartment without throwing up. She laid him down on her bed and on his side. She put a bucket next to the bed and he was passed out before she knew it. She sniffed in laughter at him and kissed his cheek.

_Run Away_

"Hey, I'm gonna go to the bathroom." Shane told Sawyer and kissed her cheek.

"It's the second door to the right." She told him. He walked away and she turned to see her Aunt Irma smiling at her. Her and Shane had been dating for four months by this time and it was meet the parents time. She had already met his parents and they were delightful, now he had to meet Aunt Irma and Uncle Dale. They lived in an extravagant house but Dale had always been very frugal with his money so he didn't buy nice cars or anything like that.

"Oh Sawyer, he is cute!" Irma told her niece.

"He's a very respectful young man." Dale told her. "I like him."

"I do too." She replied. Sawyer laughed a little with her guardians. Her Aunt Irma was so happy, she hadn't seen her smile this much in a while. But, Sawyer wasn't entirely happy. Shane was awesome, he really was but… there was something wrong about their relationship. She didn't really want to be with him anymore. She was only happy with- "I hear church bells ringing." Aunt Irma sang and pulled Sawyer out of her thoughts. She smirked and cocked her head slightly to the side.

"Oh Irma, stop it. Leave the poor girl alone!" Dale chuckled and Sawyer laughed.

"Thank you Uncle Dale!" she replied and Dale nodded.

"I really do like him, Sawyer." Irma continued.

"Well, I like him too." Sawyer replied and Irma giggled.

"Well that's too bad because I love you." Shane said and Sawyer's jaw dropped at the 'L' word. Dale's eyes grew wide and Irma happily gaped at the strong young man in front of her. Sawyer looked back at Shane and forced a smile. She had never seen Aunt Irma so happy.

"I love you too."

_Run away_

"Die mother fucker!" Sawyer yelled as she and Daryl were playing Call of Duty. She killed Daryl and she laughed.

"Fuck!" Daryl yelled and focused on the game. He responded and hunted for Sawyer. "Yer dead Horvath!"

"Suck it Dixon, I'm in the lead!" she replied. Daryl quickly shifted his eyes over to her, then stole her pink PS3 controller. "Ah!" she squeaked and reached for the controller. "Dixon! Stop bein' a baby!" She kept reaching for it but he kept jumping it away from her grasp. She crawled into his lap to try and reach it but he shifted awkwardly and she fell on her ass to the ground.

"Sawyer!" he called, trying to hold back his laughter. "Aw shit, are ya okay?" he asked.

"I think I broke my coccyx." She whined and his laughter went away. As he bent down to help her, she clipped his knees and pinned him to the ground.

"Horvath, let me go!" he hollered and she shook her head.

"You ended my killing spree!" she accused. "You deserve this, asshole!" he wrapped his legs around hers and rolled them back over, pinning her to the ground as she laughed like a little kid at a candy shop. He burst out laughing with her laughter and had to rest his head on her collarbone. They breathed as they fought to catch their breaths. He inhaled her sweet scent and almost collapsed on top of her. He lifted his head and moved one of his hands from her wrists to push some messy hair back from her face. She smiled softly back up at him. Time seemed to be moving slowly. She smoothed down some of his hair that had gotten tousled from their rough housing.

Daryl never acted this way with everyone. He was usually so serious and quiet but Sawyer made him come out of his shell, made him become who he really was. Sawyer was amazing and he knew for a fact Shane didn't deserve her. Daryl looked down into her beautiful grey eyes as she looked up into his glacier blues. Their heads seemed to inch towards each other to the point that they had begun to close their eyes but the crawled and jumped apart when the sound of keys jingling interrupted them.

"Heard y'all screamin' from a mile away!" Merle told them. "I was on my motorcycle fer fucks sake!"

"It's good to see you too Merle." Sawyer laughed. Daryl and Sawyer stood awkwardly away from each other. They were about to kiss, oh how close they were. They were both about to do what they had wanted to do for three years but just didn't know they wanted the same thing. "I have to go, you're coming to the New Year's Eve party right?"

"Never miss it." Daryl told her. She waved goodbye and hurried out the door. She just sat in her car for little while before she pulled away. She had to pull over on the side of the road because she couldn't focus. She began to cry softly as she thought about what was happening.

"Oh my God, what have I done?" she asked herself as she rested her head on her steering wheel. She wanted Daryl so badly but he never showed anything more than friendship. He didn't want anything else with her. She didn't exactly try hard enough, she had been dating Shane for six months. Six months! Maybe it wasn't supposed to be her and Daryl. Maybe it was just always meant to be them as friends.

Daryl sat on his bed as he thought. Why was he so scared to do something? He should've stopped her before she left and just kissed her. Just kissed her until her knees went weak so he could show her how much he cared for her.

"She don't deserve me." He told himself. He rested his forehead in his hands as he sighed. His clothes were ripped, he looked dirty. He was just white trash that wasn't worth anything to his parents. Why would he be worth something to her?

_Run Away_

Daryl walked into the small venue and heard the TV already. The Horvath's would always project Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on a large surface in the country club. He walked in with his nice attire and saw Sawyer. He walked over to her and pinched her sides.

_"God, she looks amazing."_ Daryl thought to himself. She was wearing a tight, dark blue, sequined dress that went mid-thigh and had mid length sleeves. She jumped and turned around. She laughed as she saw it was just Daryl. She wrapped her arms around him and he hugged her back. She felt so happy wrapped in his arms. Little did she know he felt the same and someone was watching them, finally understanding why she had been acting different lately. The night went on and Daryl would try and talk to Sawyer but Shane constantly had his arm wrapped around her waist. When the countdown happened, Daryl didn't have anyone to kiss but he watched as Shane bent down to capture Sawyer's perfect lips. Daryl had never felt this way before, but he knew what it was. It was-

"Alright, If I could have everyone's attention!" Shane bellowed and everyone quieted down. Shane made a motion and it created a circle around him and Sawyer. Irma and Dale were behind Shane and seemed to have knowing faces behind him. "I have a very important question to ask Sawyer!" Sawyer's face turned more into shock and Daryl froze, his heart stopping. "Sawyer," he began and took her hand. "I love you very much. You're the greatest woman I've ever met and there's no doubt in my mind I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He got down on one knee and a hand went over her open mouth. There were some excited squeals from the crowd. "Sawyer Bridgette Horvath, will you marry me?" he asked and Daryl felt like someone had punched him in the gut.

Sawyer stood there in shock. She didn't even hear his speech until he got down on one knee and pulled out a blue box. When he opened it, she saw a beautiful ring. It was large, flashy, not her. "Will you marry me?" she heard him ask. She looked up and saw Irma crying joyful tears along with tears of anticipation.

_"Aunt Irma is so happy." _Sawyer thought._ "I don't have that much time left with her. She really wants this to happen and it would make her so happy. She's done so much for me, it's not about me anymore."_ Sawyer looked back at Shane and began to force a smile.

"Yes, I will marry you." She said softly.

"Really?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yes." She said louder. Shane leapt up and kissed her. The crowd cheered but no one could understand her sadness. She didn't know that Daryl was standing by himself in utter depression.

_"She's marryin' him." _ Daryl's inner voice told him. His jaw locked and his fists clenched. He couldn't deal with this, he just couldn't. He ran into the bathroom as fast as he could to get away from it.

Sawyer looked around after the congratulations in search of Daryl but she couldn't find him. She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw her Aunt Irma.

"Oh sweetie!" she cried and held her niece. "I'm so happy! I can't believe it's already happened."

"Me too Aunt Irma." Sawyer replied. She really couldn't believe this was happening. Dale stood next to his wife and his niece. Dale seemed to know everything without a word being said. He saw how Daryl ran out of the room and he saw how Sawyer looked at Irma when Shane asked her the big question. He knew everything and it deeply saddened him that Sawyer didn't fight for what she wanted.

"Congratulations honey." Dale told her and kissed her cheek.

"Thanks Uncle Dale." She replied and hugged her uncle tightly. What a start to the new year.

_Run Away_

_Less than two months from the wedding_

"Alright, I just need you to give me your honest opinion. Aunt Irma isn't here to tell me how it fits or looks so just tell me the truth." Sawyer said from behind the curtain.

"Alright!" Ria said excitedly.

"Yes m'am." Daryl added. Her delicate fingers gripped the curtain and pulled it back. Daryl almost fell out of his seat when he saw her. Ria was almost squealing at the dress. It fit her torso perfectly and flared out at the waist. The bodice seemed to be wrapped and there was a diamond encrusted belt across her waist. The skirt was simple with a layer of sheer fabric on the outside.

"It's gorgeous!" Ria told her. Sawyer's brown hair was wavy with a small portion pulled back with a pretty clip. Ria turned to Daryl and made a face, urging him to say something.

"You look… wow." Daryl told her and she laughed softly.

"It's not too much?" she asked.

"It's perfect." He added in complete awe.

"Wait! We need to test it out!" Ria ran off.

"Ria, where are you going?" Sawyer asked. She picked up her skirt and quickly stepped out of the room. Ria turned the corner with a tuxedo jacket.

"Here Daryl, put this on." She told him.

"Oh uh…" he stumbled as Ria put the jacket on him. She linked his and Sawyer's arm together and forced them to turn towards the mirror. She grabbed a fake bouquet and placed it in Sawyer's hands forcefully. Daryl gulped as they stared in the mirror. Why couldn't that image be real?

Sawyer found it difficult to breathe as they stared into the mirror. She couldn't help but think that for a moment it seemed real. But it couldn't be… it just couldn't be real even though she desperately wanted it to be. But, her Aunt Irma was happy. Happy and fading away. She knew that her Aunt Irma wasn't going to make it to the wedding and just knowing that Sawyer was getting married to someone that Irma loved made her happy enough.

"Yeah… uh… this is the dress for you." Daryl stuttered.

"Kinda late now, can't change my mind."

_Run Away_

_A month from the wedding_

Daryl woke up startled by rapid knocking at the front door of the small house that he and Merle rented. Daryl got up with a groan and heard Merle bellowing in his room.

"Da fuck is that?" he heard Merle say. Daryl was about to give the person outside the door a piece of his mind. But when he opened it, he saw a weeping Sawyer.

"Sawyer?" he asked. "What's wrong?" Sawyer collapsed in his arms. He heard Merle's door swing open. Merle stomped out but stopped when he saw the scene.

"See-Saw?" Merle actually asked sincerely. "Ya okay?"

"It's Aunt Irma." She whispered and the men stiffened. "She's gone." Daryl looked back at Merle and he nodded.

"Imma getcha a cuppa water." Merle told her and walked into the small kitchen. Daryl walked them over to the couch where she rested her head on his chest.

"She just gave up." Sawyer wept. "I said that I loved her and she died right in front of me, telling me how happy she was."

"How's Dale?" Merle asked as he placed the cup on the coffee table.

"Not well." She replied. "Not well at all. There's nothing I could do to get him to stay." She cried harder. Merle nodded at his brother and stood up. He was about to walk away but instead gave Sawyer a kiss on the cheek.

" 'm sorry." He told her and walked back into his room.

"I don't understand why I'm taking this so hard, I knew it was coming and so did she." She whispered.

"She was like yer momma, Sawyer. She took care o' ya when ya had no one else. It's okay to be upset." Daryl told her. "When my Momma died, I blamed myself for the longest time even though I didn't start that fire." Daryl thought about what he was going to say next long and hard. "I listened to my Paw when he blamed me for her death." Sawyer popped up but still kept her hands on his broad shoulders.

"He blamed you?" she asked.

"Yuh." He replied. "He was a bastard like that."

"I'm sorry." She told him and she began to shake her head. "I'm so sorry." She hugged him and suddenly she made it all about him. She never cared about herself, she always cared about the people she loved. They were priority number one in her life, making sure everyone she cared about was happy.

"I mourned fer a long time." He told her. "But it's normal to mourn." He wasn't good at this stuff but he was going to be the best he could for Sawyer, who was always the best for him. She went to him first, he was going to make sure he got the job done. Fuck Shane, it was Daryl's turn to be a man.

"I just… there's a part of me that's still trying to believe she's gone." She took a shaky breath.

"I know. I couldn't believe it either." He told her. "It takes a while for it to go away."

"What do you do with it?" she asked. "I was so young when my parents died. I don't remember what I did with that part."

"Ya store it away." He replied. "It'll always be with ya but ya learn to make room for it and live with it. And I'm gonna be here to help ya." He promised.

"Thank you." She told him and held him tighter.

"Is there anythang ya want?" he asked.

"I just wanna go to sleep for a while." She replied truthfully.

"Come on, ya can borrow one of my shirts."

_Run Away_

Sawyer walked around the club house, greeting the people at the rehearsal dinner. She didn't know where Shane went and she didn't know where Daryl went. Tomorrow was the big day and she knew that her Aunt Irma was smiling down at her. Sawyer just kept reminding herself that this would've made Irma happy. She walked down the stairs but slowed her steps when she heard Shane's voice.

Daryl was walking around the club house glumly. She was getting married tomorrow and there was nothing he could do about it.

"So, why you marryin' her?" He heard a guy ask Shane. He stopped near the door to listen to the conversation. "Do you like her?"

"Of course I do." Shane replied. "The fact that her guardians are loaded helps that too." Daryl's head lifted as his fists clenched. He felt his blood boil.

_"That sum' bitch doesn't even love her." _He growled inwardly.

"Wait, the money?" Rick asked. "That's what's getting you to settle down?"

"Her Aunt Irma died not too long ago." Shane told them.

_"A month and six days actually." _Daryl thought as he listened.

"She got a lot of money from the will." Shane replied. "Won't be too long till Dale goes too. Plus, can't wait to finally get to see what's under that blouse." The men laughed and drank.

Sawyer was disgusted, thoroughly disgusted. She shook her head as her eyes filled with tears and ran back up the stairs. She ran out on the balcony of her private room and rested her arms on the stone railing. She rested her head on top of her arms as she thought.

_"I can cancel it. I can get out of it now."_ She thought._ "But Uncle Dale's spent so much money and Aunt Irma was so happy… me getting married made her the happiest woman in the world. Those were the last words she ever said…"_

"Hey." Daryl's southern drawl pulled her out of her thoughts. She spun around in her strapless black dress.

"Hey." She replied as she sighed.

_Run Away_

Daryl stormed up the stairs and into the main area. He wanted to hit something… Shane, he wanted to hit Shane. Repeatedly until his face was unrecognizable. He had to tell her…

Daryl watched as Sawyer stormed out from where Shane was. _"She knows."_ Daryl thought. Why wasn't she in Shane's face right now telling him it was over? _"Aunt Irma."_ Daryl sighed and rubbed his bottom lip with his finger. He had to stop the wedding, he had to get her out of marrying Shane. He had to tell her. It was now or never. He walked over to the bar and downed a quick shot before he walked up the stairs.

"Hey." He grunted. She turned around and looked beautiful, as usual.

"Hey." She replied.

"Uh, we need to talk." He told her.

"What's up?" she asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Look, I jus' need to say sumthin'." He replied. He seemed to be choking on his own words mixed with the whiskey.

"Daryl?" she asked worriedly and walked over to him. She held his arm and looked up at him with her grey eyes. "What's going on?" He was breathing hard staring down at her. He lost the quick words he had put together as he walked up the stairs. He had dealt with just being friends with her for three years. He was done being the pussy Merle said he was. Fuck everyone that thought that, _now _was his time to show the world that Daryl Dixon was nobody's bitch.

Daryl pressed his lips against hers, final being where he had wanted to be for years. Sawyer was stiff against him at first but soon melted into him. Her hands went away from his arms and to his neck while his went to the small of her back. One of her hands moved to caress his jaw and he pressed her more into him. The kiss was slow, sweet, and meaningful. He pulled away and rested his forehead against hers, both were dazed.

"That's what I needed to tell ya." He whispered. She stared into his steel blue eyes as she took everything in.

"What was that supposed to tell me, Daryl?" she asked. She needed him to communicate. She had spent their entire friendship taking his little hints. He needed to talk this time and she knew it would be difficult for him. He seemed to swallow hard.

"That I love ya Sawyer." He replied and her breathing stopped short. "I always have." He seemed to be shaking and she almost laughed but held it back.

"Sh, calm down." She whispered to him.

"All I want to know is if ya feel the same?" he asked. Her grey eyes were filled with converse.

"I do Daryl." She replied and seemed to hang her head down. The confession knocked the wind out of both of them. She laughed nervously but he was serious. He lifted her chin and kissed her again. She was happy, completely happy for the first time in her life. Daryl felt like it was right and that it was where he was meant to be. Sawyer's heart rate went up in panic as she thought of her family and began to shake her head. "I can't do this." She said and her eyes instantly filled with sad tears, replacing the happy ones.

"Whut?" he asked.

"I'm less than a day away from getting married, Daryl." She told him.

"Ya can always cancel the wedding." He replied.

"Daryl, I love you but I can't do it." She replied. "Aunt Irma told me that this was making her happy… those were her last words Daryl. She wanted this to happen so badly and if I cancel it I'll feel like I'm letting her down."

"So, yer jus' gonna marry him?" he asked in disbelief. "Yer not gonna be happy with him. Yer only doin' this fer yer Aunt!"

"Daryl, this is all that she wanted!" Sawyer cried. She stood straight in front of him, feeling like she could slip at any moment. "I can't do this to her."

"Yer gonna marry that bastard? Even after what he said downstairs?" He argued.

"How did you know about that?" she asked quietly.

"Ya don't think this has been killin' me?" He replied. "I've been wonderin' 'round this entire time. I went downstairs and heard the entire thang! He don't deserve ya, Sawyer! He ain't gonna make ya happy!"

"You don't think I know that?" she replied and began to cry harder.

"So, that's it?" he asked and plopped his hands down at his sides. "Yer jus' gonna be unhappy the rest o' yer life? Even though ya love me and ya _know_ I love ya too, yer still gonna marry a man that's after yer familie's muny?" he asked. They were silent, they were silent for a long time.

"Daryl, I love you but it's what she wanted." She replied.

"THANK ABOUT YERSELF GOD DAMMIT!" he roared. "FER ONCE IN YER LIFE THANK ABOUT YERSELF!" She shrank down in size when he finally screamed at her. "Sawyer, please stop lettin' people do this. I let people do it to me fer the longest time."

"I…I can't." she replied and he felt as if someone had just smashed him down. "I just… can't!" Daryl shook his head as his jaw grinded back and forth. He spun on his heel and sped away from her. "Daryl!" She called desperately after him. She ran after him as best as she could in her heels. She heard a yelp from downstairs and took off her heels. She got to the end of the stairs and saw Shane on the ground, holding his cheek. She ran past him and outside in the parking lot. "Daryl!" the last she saw was his blue Chevy speeding away from her. Her eyes were glossy with tears as she regretted everything she had just done. She didn't realize that Dale was behind her, leaning against the doorway as he thought. Dale nodded to himself. He knew what he had to do.

_Run Away_

As soon as Daryl came home, he slammed the door to the house and went straight for the bottle of Jack on the counter. He went back into his room and plopped down on his bed. He took a deep swig from the bottle. He gripped his hair and shook his head. He should've never told her how he felt. He thought for sure it would work. He thought she would leave that money stealing bastard for sure. Now, he lost his best friend and his love.

_Run Away_

Sawyer stared at herself in the bride's room at Matthew's Manor. She was breathing hard as her hair fell in soft waves around her head. She went to the foyer and peeked through the door. She looked at everyone sitting in the chairs and saw Shane off to the side fixing his tie. His cheek was bruised from where Daryl had punched him. She wiped the tears from her face and hurried back into the bride's room.

"Come on Horvath, pull yourself together." She told herself through the soft sobs.

"Hey sweetie." Dale's voice echoed. She turned and saw her uncle smirking sadly at her.

"Uncle Dale!" she replied in surprise and quickly wiped the tears away from her face. Dale came closer to her and pulled a handkerchief out of his suit pocket. He wiped her eyes like he used to do when she was little.

"What are you doing Sawyer?" he asked. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm getting married." She replied.

"No, you're setting yourself up for a life of misery." He told her. "Why are you doing this? Tell me the truth Sawyer Bridgette." There was hesitation but she finally answered.

"I'm doing this for Aunt Irma."

"Sweetie-"

"It's what she wanted. This is what was making her happy." Sawyer defended.

"This is not what she wanted." Dale told her in disbelief. "All she wanted was for you to be happy."

"But it won't make her-"

"Listen to yourself!" he interrupted. "Is this what you think she wanted? You just throwing your life away? She wants you to be with who makes you happy." Sawyer dropped her head and began to cry.

"Uncle Dale, I just… I love him so much." She admitted and Dale sighed. He hugged her tightly and she cried.

"Who do you want to be with?" he asked. "You don't want to waste a lifetime thinking what could've happened."

"I want to be with Daryl." She replied softly.

"Then run." He whispered. She pulled away and looked at her uncle wide eyed.

"What?" she asked.

"Run away, Sawyer." He repeated. "Go be with him." They stood in silence as she thought. There was no question in what she wanted to do but she just didn't know if Daryl would be there for her.

"Sawyer, you can either walk in there and get married to a man who you don't love or you can go spend your life with the man you do love." Dale told her sternly. "Don't waste a lifetime thinking, take action."

"Uncle Dale?" she asked.

"Yes?"

"I love you." She told him and hugged him. He smiled and kissed her cheek.

"I love you too." He replied. "Now run away." She nodded and he took his handkerchief to fix the make up on her face. She kissed his cheek before she picked up her dress and ran out of the manor. She saw Ria in the parking lot putting on her heels.

"Ria!" she called and she glared at her.

"What're you doing?" she asked.

"Running!" she replied and her jaw dropped. "I need your help."

"What do you need?" Ria asked.

"I need you to drive to Daryl's house." She told her best friend.

"Come on! It's about damn time!" Ria chuckled and she climbed into the truck.

_Run Away_

"Come on lil' brudder!" Merle called out. He banged on the door more.

"GO AWAY!" Daryl roared. He was lying on his bed with another bottle of Jack on his nightstand.

"Daryl, come on! Ya need to stop mopin' 'round and do sumthin'!" Merle told him.

"I tried sumthin' Merle and it didn't work! Jus' leave me be!" Daryl called out.

"Daryl, she lo-"

"She don't love me!" Daryl replied. He pounced up and over to the door where he ripped it open. "We're white trash, Merle. That's all we are. Don't you see that Paw was right all those years?" Merle threw his arm back and punched Daryl straight in the jaw.

"Don't ya eva fuckin' say that!" Merle yelled. "I almost kilt him when I was livin' with him! What makes ya thank I let ya say that?" Daryl held his jaw and shook his head. "Sawyer loves ya but she has problems, ya know that. She's dealt with yers, why cain't ya deal with hers." Merle slammed the door without another word, leaving Daryl on the ground. He sat there for a long while just thinking. Sawyer was having a very rough time dealing with Irma's death… maybe that's what's clouding her judgement? Daryl heard another knock on the door and growled.

"Merle, I swear to God if ya…" he opened the door and saw Sawyer in her wedding gown. She was breathing hard and she smiled. Merle's motorcycle was leaving the driveway as he looked behind her.

"Hey." She told him.

"Hey." He grunted… did she just run away for him?

"I ran away." She replied. Yeah, she just ran away for white trash like him. "I'm sorry." She told him and her smile disappeared. "I just… I didn't know what to do and I wasn't thinking about what would make not just me happy but you. I'm sorry and I will never hurt you again Daryl. I love you so much and I just can't go on knowing that this could've happened. What I did was stupid and I know it was. You mean more than the world to me and I was about to throw you away…" tears spilled down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"Ya wasn't stupid." He told her and lifted her head up. "I know what ya was thankin'. It was what Irma woulda wanted."

"I hurt you." She said softly.

"And I've hurt ya." He replied. "It don't matter anymore, we're here now."

"We're gonna be the talk of the town." She told him and started to rub up and down his arms.

"Sawyer, I've been the talk o' the town fer awhile." He promised. "We'll figure this out." She wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought her closer to him.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love ya too." He replied. She leaned up and captured his lips with hers in a sweet kiss. "Are ya sure about-"

"I'm not gonna regret running away. You're the one I want to be with." She promised him. "I'm never gonna regret anything that happens. I'm with you and that's all that matters." He leaned down and kissed her again. One of his hands went from her waist to thread through her hair and tilted her head so he could deepen the kiss. The bottom of his tongue glided over the top of hers and twisted hers around his. He groaned and pulled her more into his room, shutting the door with his foot. Her breath was hard and fast against his cheek but he wasn't doing much better. Was this really going to happen? Was this happening right now? She moaned softly as his hand slid up her back and to the zipper on her dress. He gingerly began to pull it down with shaking hands and the cold air hit her instantly. "Daryl." She whispered against his lips.

"Whut is it?" he asked huskily. She looked into his eyes before she looked down at the ground. He moved to hold her hands. "Sawyer?"

"Daryl, I've never… uh… I've never done this before." She admitted.

"Whut?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm still a virgin." She reinforced. The confession knocked the wind out of him. Was he going to be her first time?

"Do ya wanna stop?" he asked. _"Please say no."_ he thought. "We don't have to do this." He promised her. She smiled at him and kissed him again.

"Oh no, we're doing this." She said making him chuckle.

"Don't be nervous." He told her.

"I'm not. I trust you." She told him. He didn't have much experience when it came to women but he was going to care about her. He would make sure it was great.

Truth be told, she was a little nervous. She wondered what she would feel like after he did take her virginity. But she would find that out later, she wanted to do this with Daryl and there was no doubt in her mind that she wanted him to be the one to take it.

"Wait." She told him. She pulled off her engagement ring and opened the curtain over his window. She opened the window and chucked it outside to be forgotten about. Daryl stared at her wide eyed before he stalked over to her and took her lips hungrily. He shut the window, threw the curtains over it before he unzipped her dress all the way down. Her skin was the softest he ever felt and the sweetest he ever smelt, he never wanted to let her go. He pulled the clip out of her hair and stepped away from her to take her body in. She was perfect in his eyes. She was a little curvy but took care of herself. Her hair fell like a waterfall past her shoulders. Daryl's breath caught and she covered herself up with a blush and a nervous smile.

"Don't." he told her. She stepped to him, still in her heels and underwear, leaving the dress on the floor. Her hands went to the buttons on his usual sleeveless flannel shirt but he distracted her with kisses on her neck and slowly moving down to her breast. He kissed the freckle just above her right breast before he took her nipple into his mouth. She whimpered at the sensation and threaded her fingers through his sandy brown hair. He dropped to his knees and kissed down her flat stomach. He slipped off one Jimmy Choo heel, then the other. He then slipped off her panties and she stepped out of them. He had never done this part before but some of his friends talked about it… he could do it.

And that's when Daryl finally touched her. He started sucking on the bundle of nerves at the top of her and she cried out and shuddered. He felt her knees buckle and he caught her before she completely fell. He laid her down gently on his carpeted floor before he continued sucking and rubbing her small bud. Her hands went into his hair and he stopped to look up at her. Did she not want this? Did she want him to stop? Her eyes were shut and her lips were parted .

"Daryl" she whimpered. "Please keep going" she begged him. He lowered his head again and continued on. He pushed a finger inside of her and she cried out again.

"Relax Sawyer." He told her. But she was so tight, he was afraid he'd go right then and there. He started to pump along her silky walls as she panted and moaned. He added a second finger, still sucking and rubbing, and she exploded around him. She pulled his hair hard as he gave her the first orgasm she ever had. He moved back up her body and she kissed him hard, faintly tasting herself on him. He picked her up and carried her over to his bed where she had spent so many nights before. She started to pull down his jeans and pushed them all the way off to the floor along with his boxers. She began to unbutton his shirt and she felt him tense up, making her open her eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. He looked almost ashamed of something. She sat up, taking him with him. "Daryl, what's going on?"

"I ain't…"

"Oh come on, after what you just did to me you cannot tell me you're a virgin!" She told him and he couldn't help but laugh. Why did she have to be so damn adorable?

"It jus'… It ain't pretty." He admitted as his face went back to shame. She looked at him as his head hung down. She unbuttoned the rest of his shirt and saw all the scars that littered his chest.

_"My Paw blamed me for her death."_

Sawyer suddenly realized what he had been through. Sorrow went across her face as she looked at Daryl. She lifted his head and kissed him slowly, trying to take the pain away. He relaxed in her arms and kissed her back with the same passion. He kissed down her neck and to the little dip in her collar bone. Her mouth went to his ear and the next words out of her mouth made him shiver.

"Make love to me, Daryl." She whispered. He gently pushed her back on his bed and nudged her legs apart with his thighs, her legs around his. He pushed himself against her entrance and he looked back up at her through hooded eyes. She nodded at him, reassuring him that she trusted him completely. He moved as slowly as he could into her, stretching her warmth around him. He felt the snap and like that, he took her virginity. She clenched her eyes shut as she whimpered against his neck. She breathed hard for a few seconds until the pain subsided, he was so large inside of her but pain turned into pleasure.

Daryl couldn't breathe at the sensation. He was finally with her. He had been waiting for this for three years. He kissed the tip of her nose and slowly began to move, in and out, in and out. She panted and scratched at his back, moaning his name at the feelings he was giving her. Daryl grunted with his thrusts that made her body rock with the movements they were creating. She met his thrusts perfectly and it was as if she was made for him, they fit perfectly together.

"Sawyer" he groaned against her lips. His movements sped up, making her moan louder and him pant louder. "Ah shit, Sawyer!"

"Don't stop!" she begged him. She was close and he could tell. Her cheeks were getting flushed and she was beginning to sweat lightly. She moved up her legs to wrap around his narrow waist and he sunk even deeper into her. She suddenly tightened around him, her back arched up, her nails dragged down his back, her head fell back, and her jaw dropped as she moaned his name. Daryl watched her as she lost herself around him and couldn't handle it and she milked his own orgasm out of him. They were panting hard as he collapsed on top of her. They never wanted that moment to end. They were isolated from the outside world, nothing was there to bother them, it was just them and them alone together.

"Ya okay?" he asked.

"I'm perfect." She told him with a sleepy smile and he smirked against her. "You?"

"Never better." He replied.

"I love you." She told him.

"I love ya too." He replied. They laid in silence until her finally slipped out of her. He moved up and gather her to him, like he needed to hold her forever. She was against his chest as their heads rested on his pillow, his head angled down towards hers while hers was up towards his. He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"He's gonna come after us." She told him with some worry in her eyes. "He's desperate for the money."

"We'll go away." He told her. "We'll start over. Wherever ya want, I don't care. We'll get outta this town and we'll start a new life. Get away from this." He could finally be away from his haunting childhood and never come back.

"I need to quit my job and move out of my apartment, it's gonna take longer than you think." She replied.

"We'll do it anyways." He promised. "Nothin' else matters besides us anymore. We'll jus' run away."

_Run Away_

Daryl laid on his cot in his cell as he failed to get some sleep for yet another night. He remembered everything about Sawyer Horvath. Tears made their way down his face as he stared at a picture of them together while they looked at apartments in Nashville where they would start their new life together, the life they never got the chance to start. He remembered her laugh, her smile, the way she made him feel, the feel of her lips against his, and the way she loved him like no one ever had. He didn't know where she was, he didn't know if she was alive, he just hoped and even prayed that one day they would run to each other again.


End file.
